PHILADELPHIA, general favourites for the Super Bowl after beginning
the campaign as 12-1 third choices, are fancied to improve their record
to

4-1 with victory in Jacksonville in Sunday's late TV game.

The Eagles flopped on their previous visit to an AFC South team
when Tennessee staged a second-half comeback on the opening day, but
have looked an accomplished outfit while beating Washington, Dallas and
Houston since.

The Vegas handicap line was shattered on the first two of those
wide-margin victories, and the Eagles fell only two points short of
giving up the requested 20 last week.

This time, they need to win by only a field goal and, with
swaggering QB Donovan McNabb pulling the strings, have every chance of
doing so.

Jacksonville are no push-overs, and put the hapless Jets to the
sword last week, with running backs Fred

Taylor and Stacey Mack seemingly running for more yards than Paula
Radcliffe.

Taylor, quarterback Mark Brunell and top receiver

Jimmy Smith are the chief survivors from the Jags' glory days
and they have already

exceeded doom-laden pre-season forecasts.

Yet the off-season losses of Tony Boselli, Kevin Hardy and Keenan
McCardell have been delt with comfortably in the early games of the
year.

Their Week Two victory over Kansas City looks particularly good
condering the Chiefs' erstwhile exploits.

However, Philadelphia's

aggressive defence is a match for anyone and they have not allowed
a running back to race for more than 53 yards in a game so far.

If they can park the Taylor-Mack tandem and force Brunell to try to
beat them in the air, their deep secondary could make some big plays.

Smith should be covered by Pro-Bowl cornerback Troy Vincent and
Eagles coach Andy Reid is sure to throw in one of his well-designed
trick plays at some stage.

Recommendation

Philadelphia -2.5

5pts 10-11 (Stan James)

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